SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



131 



We know that all the stars in the celestial dome 

 seem, to the naked eye, fixed in their position, 

 except those distinguished from the others as 

 planets, which are wandering through the heavens 

 on their yearly journey round the sun. Exceedingly 

 careful astronomical observations and measure- 

 ments taken by the most accurate instruments, 

 have shown that the stars make extremely minute 

 movements on the face of the sky. Supposing 

 we were living for a thousand years, we might 

 be able to notice a very slight alteration of 

 position of some fixed stars in the sky, which 

 would, in reality, represent many millions of 

 millions of miles journey of those stars during 

 that time. One of the brightest fixed stars, 

 Arcturus, possesses the marvellous velocity of 

 fifty-four miles a second, but their vast distance 

 from our solar system makes their motion seem so 

 small. This can be illustrated more plainly. It is 

 well-known to everybody that when we look out 

 of the window of an express train in motion at 

 telegraph posts and then at distant trees, the 

 former will pass the window very quickly on 

 account of their nearness to us, but the trees, 

 which are several miles away from the train, 

 appear to pass only very slowly, because of their 

 long distance away. It is quite the same with the 

 stars in the sky, only there we deal with distances 

 far more immense. 



42, Southboiirne Road, Sheffield. 



STARFISHES OPENING 

 OYSTERS. 



T N the part recently issued of the " Journal of the 

 Marine Biological Association of the United 

 Kingdom" (vol. iv.. No. 3), is an illustrated article 

 by Dr. Paulus Schiemenz, which settles the long- 

 discussed question whether starfish really open 

 oysters. After reviewing what has already been 

 written on the subject. Dr. Schiemenz clearly 

 shows that the mild and harmless-looking "five- 

 finger" is really a desperate marauder, who, by 

 force and persistence, makes the timid oyster 

 yield to his voracious appetite. Should the prey 

 resist the attack of Asterias, but open his shell 

 ever so small a space, the starfish coolly inserts its 

 own stomach between the oyster-shells and absorbs 

 all the juices and digestible substances. 



In conclusion of his most interesting article, 

 which shows by experiments how the starfishes 

 effect their entry into the oysters and other bivalve 

 marine moUusca, the author advises the oyster- 

 culturists to destroy every star-fish they can find 

 in their oyster-parks. It is not sufiicient to tear 

 them asunder, for the pieces have the power not 

 only of continuing to live, but of developing new 

 limbs, so that the process of apparent destruction 

 only increases their numbers. 



A MOTH NEW TO BRITAIN. 



CaLOPIIASIA PLATVl'TIiUA, Esp. 



r\N the 14th of September, when examining 

 land-shells on the Sussex coast, between 

 three and four miles west from I5righton, I observed 

 a greyish-looking noctua at rest in a rough hedge. 

 Being quite unprepared for insect collecting, I had 

 no box, but seeing at once that it was something 

 new to our fauna, I marked the place and started 

 off to the nearest village to get one. 1 had not, 

 however, gone far before I found an empty chip 

 match box, into which, with some little trouble, the 

 capture was safely placed. There it remained 

 until the next afternoon, when I had the pleasure 

 of handing it over to my friend, Mr. C. A. Briggs, 

 to add to his brother's collection. Whilst Mr. 

 Briggs was transferring the novelty from the 

 match-box to a glass-topped box in my room at 

 Northumberland Avenue, the moth escaped, and 

 nearly disappeared through the open window. 

 Again it was secured and eventually killed, and set 

 out by Mr. Briggs. 



Next month I propose to describe it fully after 

 drying and removal from the setting-board. Suffi- 

 cient now to say that I find our new addition 

 is a member of the genus Calophasia and I feel 

 pretty sure it is C. platyptera, of Esper, but this 

 opinion has to be confirmed by comparison when the 

 specimen is dry. This genus is allied to CucuUia, 

 and my capture is like a little "shark" moth of 

 light greyish colour. 



The range of C. platyptera is mid- and south- 

 European. Its time of appearance is given as 

 varying from June in the extreme south, including 

 Asia Minor, to August further north. The larvae 

 feed on, among other plants, common toad-flax and 

 its allies. My specimen was, when found by me, 

 as fine in condition as though only just emerged 

 from its pupa, and it fortunately was not injured by 

 its various adventures. 



The locality of its capture adjoins rough fields, 

 which have been allowed to run wild, and where 

 brick-making is going on. I believe the species 

 only requires working for by those who desire 

 to get a series. 



John T. Carkington. 



Abnormal Vegetable-marrow. — A remarkable 

 instance of the fusion of a branch of the parent 

 stem with the fruit of a vegetable-marrow has 

 occurred in our garden. The branch was ap- 

 parently resting along the fruit in (juestion when, 

 instead of pushing the branch away, the fruit 

 commenced to absorb it, growing o\er the sides 

 until the stem was in places covered with the fleshy 

 part ; while all along its length, for about fifteen 

 inches, it was firmly attached to the " marrow," 

 from which in one place flowers, both male and 

 female, were growing. — C. A. Brings, Lcatherhead, 

 Surrey: September, 1S96. 



